


A Little More Innocence to Lose

by KillingVillanelle



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Dishonored AU, F/F, Revenge, assassin Villanelle, i really want to write this, if you haven't played dishonored, ill explain stuff semi good, its okay, queen Eve - Freeform, trust me - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2020-10-27 00:06:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20751017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KillingVillanelle/pseuds/KillingVillanelle
Summary: Oksana Astankova was a lot of things. Bastard, Mercenary, Royal Protector of the Emperor, Queen Eve's mistress, Best Swordsman in the Isles, and eventually murderer of the Emperor.But Villanelle?She is a woman with a burning vengeance and a few newfound friends.





	1. Fealty and Fidelity

In the end of everything, all metaphors put aside, there are only two types of people. People that are alive, and people that are dead. The transition is that of something beautiful. Death washes over a body is cold waves until eventually it engulfs a body. Swallows existence whole and honestly? 

It feels really fucking good.

At least that’s what Oksana thinks as she stands in an empty lake, a long red robe covering her strong body. Fish flop towards the small puddles and maybe they don’t enjoy the gift they’re being offered. 

Eyes closed, Oksana tilts her head to the sky and feels the glow of the white ring around the black sun shine on her face. Maybe this was the end of the world and all their Gods have abandoned them. But she can feel Death's cold hands dragging her into the cold mud settling between her toes. She can feel God’s tears falling onto her face.

Then with searing hot pain, her eyes fly open.

There’s someone else here.

She can feel it by the hair rising on her arms.

“Hello?” Oksana calls out, reaching for the sword that should be on her hip, but comes up empty handed. She continues to turn anyways.

Behind her stands a shorter woman. Strikingly beautiful and a hundred paces away. Pale skin and striking black hair. She appears lean, almost frail. White, transparent robes hang loosely off her body in delicate draping.

Was this Death? To guide Oksana to the under domain with a kind hand? Or was this the  _ Outsider _ ?

Oksana lowers her head but does not bow. She would not bow for anyone.

Laughter rings in her ears.

“What are you doing?” The woman asks. Her voice is light and free. An uncaged bird singing it’s favorite song.

Oksana looks up. “I’m sorry, I thought you were…”

“Thought I was what? Oh my! Did you think I was Death or the  _ Outsider _ ?”

She brings her rough calloused hand to the back of her neck and looks around at the dying fish. “Kind of? Do you know where we are?”

“The void,” the woman says while wind blows through her black hair and white robes. Then she disappears.

Oksana jumps when a hand is pressed against her back. She turns to look at the woman with all black eyes. “The void?”

“You are not ready. You are not  _ her _ , yet,” the woman says. She brushes Oksana’s face tenderly, “You are not innocent but you also have not been broken yet. You will become something great.”

Before Oksana can respond more hot pain shoots out from a small spot in her stomach.

* * *

** **

A raven flies high above a battlefield outside the city of Dunwall. The sun is warm, the wind is calm. Silence has befallen the battlefield filled with dead men and women. But silence births volume.

A scream pierces the air, and our raven dives towards the noise. A body is shoved off another and then there she is. Oksana Astankova, a bolt broken into her side, pierced through dark grey leather armor. She clenches the wood sticking out and breaks it off before standing.

“Help!” She screams out. 

_ Help _ ?

A half dead mercenary asking for help right outside the walls of Dunwall? She’s more likely to receive another bolt.

“I need help!” She continues to call. Although that's not what she needs. She need a gun. A pistol would do. Or maybe some whale oil so she can sneak into the city. A pistol and whale oil! Put the container next to a wall, shoot it, and there’s her entrance.

“You really think anyone is alive in this mess?” someone asks and Oksana spots two soldiers walking towards her, too engrossed in their conversation. One is heavier and looks similar to the rats crawling over the bodies. The other is thin and Oksana thinks she could take him.

“If they are, we check them for the mark of the  _ Outsider _ and then we kill them.” 

“Hey, assholes!” Oksana yells and raises her sword. Not the smartest decision but it was needed.

“Holy shit!” The thin one says.

Both men take out their pistols and point them at Oksana.

“Drop the sword,” Ratman warns. “We may let you live.”

“You aren’t a soldier,” the other one says, lips slightly upturning, “yet you still live and breathe.”

“Yeah, so?” Oksana asks. She doesn’t lower her sword.

“We could use someone like you,” thin boy continues.

“What are you doing, Anton?” Ratty asks

“What is your name?” The thin one, Anton, ignores him.

“Oksana Astankova, I was hired to fight for Dunwall.” That was a lie. She killed 23 Dunwall soldiers before being knocked out by an electric grenade. And shot.

“Well, Oksana, we could use someone smart on their feet in our ranks,” Anton says.

“No we don’t. We-”

“Raymond! Shut the fuck up, okay?” Anton turns to the other one while stuffing away his pistol. “Put the gun down or I’ll tell King Polastri that you are a traitor.”

Oksana slides tosses the sword down and offers Anton her hand. When he takes it, Oksana doesn’t begin to realize she is setting in place something deadly.

* * *

** **

Two years is all it took for the rat plague to become an epidemic. They elite try to blame it on the dead bodies that sat outside of Dunwall for six weeks. But Oksana was one of those dead bodies. She knows that’s not where it came from.

90 days.

That’s how long she has been gone from the city Dunwall and the isle of Gristol.

From Eve.

She missed the queen. They wrote to each other but pigeons can only move so fast and letters that could be intercepted could only contain so much information.

“How have you been, Oksana?” Jerome asks. 

They sit on the small speedboat and drive towards Dunwall Tower. Oksana pulls out her last letter from Eve and reads over it as her heart flutters in excitement.

_ Dear Oksana, _

_ I know you are unable to tell Niko and I how your negotiations are going but I do hope you have had luck. Things in Dunwall are becoming quite terrible. The citizens are rioting, and I fear there is more happening behind closed doors than you or I could begin to imagine. _

_ Rumors of another group believing in the Outsider are beginning. So much as a mispronounced word will get you called a heretic by the Abbey. They even brand citizens with a heretic symbol now. Most end up in the Flooded District with Weepers. _

_ I miss you, Oksana. Everyday, Niko and I await your return. I know this time, I shouldn’t receive a letter from you and the next time I hear from you it will be your own words. This excites me and worries me, as I know how much trouble you can make.  _

_ Get home safely, _

_ Eve Polastri _

_ P.S. I miss your lessons, I do hope we can get started right away when you return home. _

Oksana smiles at the very end. She does enjoy her ‘private lessons’ with the queen.

“Oksana?” Jerome asks again.

“I don’t have good news for king. If that’s what you’re asking,” Oksana snaps.

All the other isles refused to other help and want to put borders against Gristol citizens from entering their territories. It was most likely the worst possible outcome. Since Niko, besides being King of Gristol is also Emperor of the Isles, this could lead to civil war.

“They send the King and Queen’s bodyguard away for months for her to just have a vacation while-”

“Are you saying something?” Oksana cuts off the boat driver.

“No, ma’am. My deepest apologies.”

“Oksana, really?” Jerome raises an eyebrow as the water level rises to stop the boat.

“What?” Playing innocent. About one hundred and four more seconds until she got to see Eve again.

They stand up and Jerome shakes his head before stepping off the boat.

Oksana follows suit. 

The moment she steps on sturdy ground, relief fills her.

Dunwall.

Home.

She may have been born in Karnaca, the capital of the southernmost Isle, Serkonos, but it was never home after she began mercenary work.

Oksana follows Jerome out of the building as Jerome talks, “King Polastri is currently on top of the tower meeting with Anton. However…”

Eve stands in a white suit at the bottom of the staircase. White pants. Bronze strapping on the blazer. The white lapels are cut in asymmetric angles. She’s stunning. Talking to a gardener and smiling. There’s an air of aristocracy but not a drop of snobness around Eve. Beautiful and royal, but kind and understanding. Eve posses the throne with not an iron hand but instead a cesium hand.

Her mother was a maid for Niko’s father and her father a peddler. Eve came from nothing and she seemed to be one of the few toffs that didn’t forget that the working class were still royal in their own ways.

Oksana’s breath catches in her throat.

“Queen Polastri has been waiting for your return,” he finishes.

“I’m going to walk down to the garden, will you tell her that there is a new bundle of flowers that need her approval?” Oksana asks and slides her hands into the pockets of her dark blue, royal guard trousers.

“Of course. I do have to ask, is it important that it is just you two?” Jerome questions.

“Very.”

Oksana glides down the pathway, sticking to the shadows. This isn’t the royal garden, just a few measly rose bushes and the such. But there was one bench and Eve and Oksana considered it their garden.

She runs her thumb on the petals of one surviving red rose.

Had Eve not tended to their garden while Oksana was away? 

Or had the rat plague gotten so bad it affected plants.

The rat plague wasn’t just spread by rats. It also made it’s victims behave like rats. Hair Loss, weight loss, loss of cognitive ability. A horde of rats could devour a body, living or dead, in a matter of seconds. By the time you show symptoms of the disease, it’s too late. Either you kill yourself or become a Weeper, someone in the very late stages of the plague.

Oksana’s seen a few Weepers. Blood runs out of their eyes. They vomit black sludge and look rather disgusting. She would kill them if she could get near them but they’re quite too violent to try to get near. A grenade or a pistol would be the best way to take them. Then collect and burn the bodies. Though, that was never a job for Oksana. The royal protector couldn’t get her hands polluted by the rat plague.

“Oksana.”

Oksana turns around and gets on a knee to bow for her queen. “Queen Polastri.”

Eve laughs and tugs Oksana up before wrapping her arms around her. “You look and smell terrible.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve taken a proper bath,” Oksana admits. 

“Or a proper sleep?” Eve asks and pulls back from Oksana. Her thumb rubs the bags under Oksana’s eyes.

Oksana softens into Eve’s hand. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Oksana brushes Eve’s hair out of her face and then leaves her hands tangled in Eve’s hair. She stares at her a moment before drawing Eve’s lips to her own. 

Eve sighs.

It’s tender and heart breaking how much love is in every kiss they share. The kiss is soft and warm before Oksana pulls away for a second so they can breathe. They readjust a bit too, knowing how the other liked kiss after sharing millions. 

Their first kiss was explosive and they couldn’t stop themselves.

Kissing Eve is different now. It makes everything calm in Oksana’s brain.

It feels like home. 

“I need to see Niko,” Oksana says and pulls away.

“Really? You’re going to bring him up this time?” Eve asks with a slight frown.

Oksana sits Eve down on the bench. “None of the other isles are willing to help. I think I just made things worse. They are closing their borders to us.”

“That’s not good,” Eve states.

“No shit,” Oksana replies and laughs. Her hand slides into her pocket and she pulls out a necklace from Serkonos, the isle south of Gristol. Known for being a land of nobility, everything there was beautiful, this pearl necklace included. Oksana was born a bastard to a whore and rumored Lord. Which Lord was always left up to debate.

She hands Eve the pearl necklace.

“Oksana!” Eve gasps and steals it away. “This had to cost you a fortune.”

“Hardly. I’m a celebrity back home. Everyone was asking what’s it like to live with the Emperor and Empress.”

“I’m technically not the Empress. Just the queen.” Eve turns away from Oksana after handing her back the necklace.

“Yes, well, the cities in Serkonos aren’t known for their intelligence. They are known for their hard work, like this necklace,” Oksana explains and hooks the necklace around Eve’s neck. “My mother passed away.” Oksana presses her chin on Eve’s shoulder.

Eve tilts her head to rest against Oksana’s. “Are you okay?”

“Of course. I hadn’t talked to her since I was paid to come here in the war. She called me a no good money greedy mercenary.”

“It’s still your mother,” Eve points out.

“She was a heretic. I went to our home. The outsider symbol was everywhere. A shrine. Whale bones,” Oksana lists off. “She murdered my younger brother and killed herself. All for the  _ Outsider _ .”

“That’s terrible.”

“Believing in some fantasy figure to the point of obsession is terrible.” Oksana stands up. “I am going to go talk to Niko. Tell him that the other isles aren’t offering aid.”

“Do you ever wonder if the  _ Outsider  _ is real? I mean if our mind’s are able to create such a figure than they have to exist?” Eve asks.

“Pardon me?”

“Never mind. Just talking to myself.” Eve stands and kisses Oksana once more. “I will come with you. He won’t yell at you if I am there.”

Oksana smiles and nods.

They make they’re way up the winding path and to where Niko argues with Anton.

“They’re sick people! Not criminals!” Niko huffs while looking out on his city.

“It’s not a matter of that anymore, your majesty. They’re-”

“They’re my citizens. As King and Emperor, I promised to protect them. We will save them all from the plague if we can,” Niko says and uncrosses his arms.

Anton sighs. “Very well.”

“We will not speak of this again.”

Eve walks up behind Niko and waits her turn to speak. “Niko! Oksana is back,” she says and waves towards where Oksana was giving them space.

He brushes her off, “Thank you, dear.” Then he turns to Anton. “Leave us, please.”

Anton bows. “As you wish.” He walks away towards Oksana. “Oksana, two days early. Full of surprises as usual.”

Oksana raises an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Of course not,  _ Royal Protector _ .” Anton passes her and leaves. Before Oksana walks up to Niko she hears, “Come on Captain, we should leave them alone.”

“It is great to see you so soon, Oksana. What news have you brought?’ Niko asks.

Oksana pulls a letter of the isles’ refusals and hands it to him. “Nothing good, I’m afraid.”

Niko reads over it and sighs. He turns and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I hoped one of the other cities had dealt with this before and had a cure. Not to start a potential war. Cowards! They’re going to blockade us. They want the plague to turn Dunwall into a graveyard.”

Eve steps forward and wraps a hand around Niko’s arm. “It will be okay. You will lead us out of this.”

Niko nods and turns to face his wife. “Yes, I… where are the guards? Oksana, did you send them away?”

“What? No?”

Eve points at the rooftops across from the tower. “There’s people on the rooftops!”

“What? Eve, come here!” Niko puts Eve behind him and pulls out his sword the same time Oksana does.

The people are dressed in black and jump through spots, disappearing for a second. Some sort of witchcraft. Oksana prepares herself as they teleport into the gazebo with her and the others. Her gun in her left hand and her sword in her right.

She shoots off one shot before charging and plunging her sword in his chest. With shock, she watches as he vanishes.

“Behind you!” Eve shouts and gives Oksana the chance to twist and block an attack from behind.

Like the other he vanishes too, leaving Niko, Eve, and Oksana alone.

Eve pulls away from Niko and hugs Oksana. Niko doesn’t give it much thought and instead thanks Oksana. “Oksana, thank you. If you hadn’t been here-”

Another figure appears and holds Oksana in the air with some sort of magic. The figure wraps his hand as if he is holding someone’s throat and the force tightens around Oksana’s throat. She claws at her neck.

“Oksana!” Eve yells while Niko yells, “Who are you?”

Then someone different than the assassins appears. A man dressed in red. He backhands Eve away from Niko and the presses a sword into Niko’s stomach and all the way through to the hilt. There’s yelling and crying, but Oksana can’t focus on that. Instead she digs at the tightening invisible force is choking her.

The first assassin, the one in black, grabs Eve and vanishes. Oksana is dropped and hits the ground hard. She sputters and gasps.

The one in red stares at the fallen Emperor. He flashes one glance at the sputtering royal protector before disappearing himself.

Oksana crawls over to Niko and roles him over. Blood dribbles out of his mouth.

“Oksana...you need to find Eve… I know… you love her…” footsteps sound near them, “just save her… you have to.”

He dies in her arms and Oksana can feel the swords and pistols pointed at her. She places Niko down and stands up, not reaching for her weapons. Anton, and overseer Raymond stare at her with soldiers on either side.

One of the soldiers crouch and look for a heartbeat on Niko.

“He’s dead,” Oksana snaps.

“You killed him! She killed the Emperor!” Anton yells. “What did you do with Lady Eve, traitor?” Then he laughs. “His own bodyguard. Slept with his wife and then murdered him. I’ll see you beheaded for this, Oksana.”

Oksana doesn’t speak.

Not when the order to arrest her is given.

Not when she’s dragged to prison.

Oksana doesn’t speak because Oksana Astankova died alongside the Emperor.

* * *

Six months pass with Oksana locked in Coldridge Prison. The days mix together and her mind is jumbled but she knows one thing. There is a conspiracy for the crown.

Strapped into a chair, a random soldier rests a metal bar above a fire while Raymond speaks to her.

“This is your final chance, Oksana. Sign the confession and let me give you the rites to put your spirit to ease.”

“Fuck. You.”

White hot pain sears into her shoulder as the soldier presses the metal part against for a few second. Oksana grunts and thrashes against the cuffs.

Anton walks up beside Raymond. “Alright, that’s enough, give the girl some time to think.”

The soldier nods and leaves, dropping the metal in a barrel of water. When the door closes, Anton speaks again,

“Oksana,” he sighs, “The Emperor is dead, his wife is hidden away, and noone will ever know the truth.”

Raymond steps forward. “Yes, unlucky you. Tomorrow you’ll be executed but it’s for a good cause. This country needs strong leadership now, someone to guide the weak, and that’s where we come in.”

Oksana laughs. “Have you seen yourself? You are the weak, Raymond. I will kill you first.”

Anton rolls his eyes and puts a hand on Raymond’s chest. “There was nothing personal in this, even though you almost sank our plans. But it turned out well. You were in the wrong place at the right time, and someone has to take the fall.” Anton puts a hand on the chair behind Oksana’s melted soldier and leans forward. “Goodbye, Oksana.”


	2. Swan Diving Straight into Love

Oksana spent 6 months in regular army before being requested to meet with King and Emperor Niko. She turned out to be an amazing soldier. Lacked the empathy for the people she murdered and almost enjoyed it. That  _ was _ why she was a mercenary before becoming a solder. In a place like Karnaca filled with nobles, lords, and ladies, there was always someone needing assassinated. 

And now in Gristol, there was an underground war against the  _ Outsider _ and street gangs that met Oksana could technically just walk down the street of the lower districts and shove a pistol in the face of anyone she wanted. 

When she was alone she often did just that.

Laughing at men who would piss their pants in fear and women who swore up and down they had children to take care of.

Oksana enjoyed most when these people had whale bone on them to make runes or bone charms for the so called  _ Outsider _ . She got to take the runes, kill the heretic, and then deliver the rune to an overseer. Oksana wasn’t stupid either. She knew some of the Overseers believed in the  _ Outsider _ . Their hands would twitch with excitement when she emptied a bag full of these items. Oksana never commented but they knew she knew and they feared her for that.

She walks down the hallways of Dunwall castle and makes her way towards the throne room. Oksana doesn’t feel the nervousness others do when they look at her or if they were going to meet Emperor Niko. She doesn’t feel that. But she did make sure to dress in her dark blue army uniform with a perfectly clean white lining the red chest. Most soldiers wore a helmet or made sure their collars were perfectly folded.

Oksana left hers popped and her helmet off. Instead her blonde hair falls in waves slightly damp from the dreary Dunwall rain. Two soldiers guard the door to the throne room. They nod at her presence and open the doors.

Dressed in the Dunwall dark blue Niko rests on his throne. He looks away from the person he is talking to and at Oksana. A smile forms under the tuft of his moustache at the fact that Oksana doesn’t kneel like any other soldier would. It confirms his suspicions that Oksana is as arrogant as people say. Sometimes that arrogance was required.

“Hello, Oksana,” Niko greets.

Oksana doesn’t respond, too busy staring at the person he was talking to. She’s beautiful. Dressed in the secondary colour of Dunwall. A blood red suit. Her hair is black and twirled into a tight bun on top of her head. Curls bounce out of the bun. Her shoulders look strong, but her spirit is stronger. She raises an eyebrow at Oksana, “Are you okay?”

Niko chuckles. “I didn’t inform her you would be here. She is a good soldier and probably just trying to figure out who you are.”

No, Oksana was just picturing an entire life with this woman. Kissing this woman. Running her hands through her hair. Yanking her hair back as she comes undone on Oksana’s fingers. “Yes, I thought it would just be us?” Oksana lies.

“This is Lady Eve. She is to be my wife and I wanted her here with us,” Niko explains and intertwines his and Eve’s hands.

Oksana nods towards Eve. “Lady,” she offers.

“You are Oksana Astankova?” Eve asks.

“The one and only.”

See, Oksana has quite the reputation in the Empire of the Isles. In the last sixth months she has became the best swordsman and deadliest soldier. Practically an assassin for Dunwall.

“I want you to become the Royal Protector once Eve and I are married. More so for her than me but for public affairs both of us,” Niko explains and stands up. “Only if you want to Oksana.”

Oksana flashes a glance between Niko and Eve before nodding. “Of course.”

“Good,” he says and smiles. He then nudges Eve in the direction of Oksana. “You two should get to know each other.”

The women leave the throne room together.

Oksana makes sure to walk all proper like. She tucks her hands together behind her back and walks in pace with Lady Eve. Her palm is sweaty against the back of her hand. In twenty-four years of life she has never felt this fluttering feeling in her stomach. 

She has the strongest suspicion it has nothing to do with being the Royal Protector.

Eve walks with an unconfident swagger. Confident but she doesn’t think she is anything special. There’s a presence of arrogance in her shoulders but also curiosity swirling in her eyes. Oksana studies Eve’s body in the physical sense, too, of course. Her hair looks like it would be big and wonderful, so much different than the thin, straw hair of other women in Gristol. She’s slender. A few inches shorter than Oksana. The perfect size for Oksana to pick her up and slam her against the nearest wall.

Oksana hasn’t decided if she wants to do that to kiss Eve or if it’s that itching blood lust in the back of her mind. Although wrapping her hand around Eve’s throat while she makes her-

"Aren't you supposed to have your hair up?" Eve finally speaks.

Oksana looks up and stares in Eve in the eye for long enough to make her uncomfortable. "You should try wearing yours down," Oksana replies and picks up her pace a fraction of a second so she could lead Eve somewhere without Eve quite realizing it. Also so maybe then Eve won’t be in the corner of her eye and she could actually think for a moment.

"You think so?" Eve plays with a curl that's fallen out of the bun on her head.

“Very much. I can tell you have beautiful hair. You have a very nice body,” Oksana states while they wait for a butler to open the Tower doors for them.

“ _ Wow _ ,” Eve says, “You don’t really hold back.”

Oksana tilts her head. “Hold back?” Her and Eve begin walking again.

“You talk without thinking. Most people would not flirt with the future queen of Gristol.”

“Not the future Empress?”

Eve shakes her head. “Only if Niko dies and we don’t have a son or daughter by then.”

“You have thought about it,” Oksana points out as she takes Eve’s hand to guide her down a couple steps. Not that Eve needed help, it was just… it wasn’t respect because Oksana didn’t care about that. 

“Doesn’t everyone think about those things?”

“I have been told otherwise,” Oksana jests. “It is okay. Your secret murder plan is safe with me.” Oksana leads Eve to a bench under Dunwall Tower’s bridge.

“Shouldn’t you tell Niko?”

“I am not the Royal Protector yet,” Oksana points out and rests an arm on the bench behind Eve. “I am just a friend right now.”

“We have just met.”

“Yes, but this feels right. Don’t you-”

“Will you teach me?” Eve interrupts and then clarifies herself, “How to sword fight. I don’t want to feel like I need you or Niko to protect me.”

Oksana tilts her head and removes her arm from behind Eve before standing. She stares at Eve not moving. “Are you going to get up?”

“What?”

“For your first lesson.” Oksana picks dirt out from under her nail as Eve stands up. “Give me your dominant hand.”

Eve holds her right hand out and Oksana, using her left hand, intertwines their hands so their palms are pressing together and their fingers dance with each other. 

Then she pushes.

“Ow! Fuck!” Eve exclaims and takes her nearly broken wrist away from Oksana. “What the fuck was that?”

“You need strong wrists. Strong arms. A strong core. If you want me to teach you, Eve, there will be weeks before you even touch a wooden sword, let alone a real one. When learning to sword fight, you don’t start by just picking up a sword and swinging it around.” Oksana walks around Eve, pretending to judge her body when instead she is actually just checking her out.

“How did you learn to sword fight?” Eve asks with a twinge of nervousness.

Oksana stops in front of Eve. “I picked up a sword and started swinging it around.”

* * *

** **

Oksana leans against the cold moist wall of her cell. Her eyes open up as she hears the cell door being pulled up. Captain Jerome places her tray of food on the ground.

“You should eat, Oksana. This meal comes from a friend,” he tells her and then steps back as the door slides shut.

Oksana climbs up and strolls over to the tray. Under the bread is a note and a key.

** **

_ Oksana, _

** **

_ Who we are is relevant right now. Just know we have faith in you. _

_ Here is a key for your cell. Once you’re out, head for the prison’s Interrogation Room. Take the explosive there and plant it on the outer door. When the bomb goes off, run. Make for the river and lose yourself in the sewers. You’ll find some useful gear stashed there. _

_ One of the prison guards will leave a weapon just outside your cell. _

_ And good luck. We need you alive and well for what's to come. _

_ -A Friend _

Oksana rubs her thumb along the teeth of the key. Freedom. This gives her the opportunity to save Eve. And as terrible as a thought it is, now that Niko is dead, Eve can take the throne and Oksana will be hers.

She unlocks the gate and slips out. True to the note’s word, there is a sword… and a few coin. Oksana stashes the coin and picks up the sword. Weighty, standard issue city watch sword. It would do. Oksana crouches and makes her way to where there are guards talking. One stands in the doorway and isn’t a apart of the conversation of the other two.

She slices the throat of the nearest guard and drags him out of the doorway and out of eyesight of the two talking guards. 

A couple bullets in his pockets but no gun.

She holds her sword with a reverse grip and sneaks back into the room. A long hall with a few pillars. One guard leans to the right pillar nearest to Oksana, pistol hanging from his belt. The other is walking away from her towards the next room.

Oksana fishes one of the bullets out and tosses it towards the left side of the room.

“I’m fucking sick of these rats,” the guard mumbles while walking away from his spot on the pillar to investigate the sound.

Oksana quickens her pace to sneak up behind him. She pushes her sword down the back of his throat with her right hand. Her left goes for his pistol. Yanks it out. Spins 270 degrees counterclockwise and shoots the guard walking back into the room.

“Thanks prick,” she tells the dead guard while stepping on his back to yank out her sword. 

After patting down the two guards for keys, bullets, and coin, only finding two 5 piece coins and a handful of bullets, Oksana makes her way through a couple of rooms, climbing some mechanical stuff in the boiler room to get up to the room before the footbridge. 

“Fuck,” she whispers to herself while rubbing her healing shoulder. That teleporting thing those assassins could do would be nice now. 

How did they even do that?

She walks up to a small weapon container and grabs the belt off it. A little big, but she shrugs and puts it on before sliding her pistol and sword in their new holster and sheath. In a shelf beside the door, Oksana plucks off a can of dried whale meat and pulls the tab to open it. She opens the door with her hip and walks across the footbridge while using her fingers to stuff whale meat in her mouth.

“Oksana’s escaped and is armed!” A guard yells underneath her. “She’s already killed three soldiers…”

Oksana pushes through the next door, ignoring the yelling. So worried. It’s not like the best swordsman in the entire nation has escaped...oh wait.

Once in the yard walkway she drops the empty tin and pulls out her sword and pistol again while crouching down.

Audible footsteps are around two corners from her. 

Her head pops up over the sheet metal walls so she can look in the sliver of a window for her next target. 

The guard walks towards the interrogation room, most likely on patrol and not even aware Oksana has escaped yet. She uses this to her advantage.

Oksana sneaks to the corner and then calls out, “Hey you! Come here!” before ducking behind the sheet metal. Her sword finds it spot back in its sheath.

Footsteps start walking towards her.

“Hello?” The guard asks. “Is someone-”

She’s interrupted short by Oksana standing and wrapping her hand around the guard’s throat. Holds her against the sheet metal and presses the end of her pistol against her temple.

“You’re pretty,” Oksana says, noticing the woman’s lovely brown eyes. They filled with fear but they were still pretty.

The blood that erupts from her skull is pretty too.

Oksana drops the dead body and continues to the Interrogation room.

Her fingers dance across the chair she was strapped to countless time. Crude metal and cloth. They never interrogated her. Instead tried to torture her into a false confession. She’ll kill them all. For herself. For Niko. For Eve.

But that will take time outside of the prison to do.

Oksana collects the explosive from the evidence safe in the back room of the Interrogation room. Someone has to purposely be carrying it and get themselves thrown into prison so Oksana could access the explosive.

Whoever wants her out, needs her out.

She runs through her mind where to plant it to get out. There is a couple outer doors but she knows which one is closest to the sewers. Cut through the prison yard and blow up the door in the control room. 

With a smile on her lips, Oksana steps out of the interrogation room and crosses the hallway to the yard door. Through the door keyhole Oksana spots a few guards talking and patrolling the prison yard. The uniform’s have been switched to a horrendous slate greyish blue color. Oksana would die before wearing a uniform.

Wanting to help them from having to spend anymore time in those terrible uniforms, Oksana slips into the yard and sneaks down the steps. She leaves her pistol holstered but pulls her sword out. As much as she wants to slit both their throats, they are in the middle of the yard and one will yell before she can kill both.

Oksana creeps around, hugging the one thing that brought her sanity without Eve. Shadows are safe. The people that live in the shadows were never good people but they also never hid that fact. Oksana knew too many politicians and generals hiding their shadows.

When she enters the door to the control room, immediately she side steps and hunkers down. 

Three guards are talking in the room and she could only see two. One patrolled from the door she needed to unlock down the hallway, to the door she came in from. The other stood in the small office area and she assumes the third is where the control panels are.

Oksana looks around. She has options. The piping with straight through the top of the door in an opening large enough for her. It would be quiet and easy way to sneak through.

So, of course, with a flare for dramatics, Oksana stands up and holds out her hands. “Excuse me, boys?” 

The two she can see jerk around to look at her.

“Fuck! Oksana escaped!” The one who was patrolling yells and pulls out his sword.

Oksana shoots him and looks at the one in the office. “You seem smarter than your friend. Go tell your other one to open the door for me and then make yourselves-”

An alarm starts blaring.

Oksana rolls her eyes and shoots office man. She slides over the counter and plucks a key off his dead body. Whistling, Oksana unlocks the door for the control panels and steps in.

The third guard is huddled under the counter. “Please don’t hurt me!” he begs.

“Turn the alarm off and open the door and I won’t remove your ears,” Oksana offers and swirls the keys around her fingers.

He nods and does as she says. When he turns to speak, she grabs the back of his head and slits his thin, long throat.

“Oops.”

“Hey, why are you opening the door?” A guard calls out from the room where Oksana needs to plant her explosives.

“High Overseer Campbell is on his way through!” Oksana calls back. Her eyes are wide and she doesn’t expect it to work.

“Alright!” The guard responds and Oksana shakes her head in surprise.

It didn’t take a lot of brain to guard a prison. 

Oksana makes her way to her final room before escape and kills the two guards in there. She bounces up the staircase, plants the explosive, and hurries down the staircase. Her hands cusp her ears as the door flies apart in a fury of orange flames, and black smoke.

She knows the forecourt well. There is a river straight from this door. A high fall that could potentially kill her, but also the only way to the sewer. Oksana isn’t afraid of dying, sometimes an emotion she wishes she could understand.

But Oksana doesn’t understand the fear of death and takes off running. A beautiful swan dive off the cliff and Oksana is falling.

* * *

** **

“Just jump, Eve, I promise it will be okay,” Oksana guides Eve while rubbing small circles in to her back.

It’s two in the morning, they are both naked, and their toes hang off the edge of the draw bridge in front of Coldridge prison.

“I don’t know… there could be rocks,” Eve argues. They shouldn’t even be out this late, let alone naked.

They were in Eve’s bedroom, her and Niko didn’t share one. Oksana was tracing small patterns on Eve’s waist after they finally wore each other out and laid down for the night. It was then, Oksana suggested they went swimming in the river. Eve had no idea she meant skinny dipping, and definitely wouldn’t have agreed if she knew their way to the river was going to be off the bridge.

“There isn’t rocks, Eve. You are scared,” Oksana says and rolls her eyes. “I will jump before you and when I come back up from underwater, I will let you know it’s safe, okay?”

“Okay,” Eve agrees.

Oksana steps away from Eve and gets ready to jump. Except, with one foot still on land, her long fingers wrap around Eve’s wrist and she pulls her with her. Oksana laughs.

“Oksana!” Eve screams while clutching on to Oksana so hard her fingernails dug into the scratches from an hour earlier.

Then there’s silence as water engulfs them. It’s freezing and makes Oksana gasp. She’s lost Eve and opens her eyes underwater to look for the woman. Eve is swimming towards her and Oksana meets her halfway.

Every time Oksana kisses Eve it’s with a passion neither have felt before. Not in Eve’s few lovers that she had time for before Niko. Not in the assortment of prostitutes and women throwing themselves at Royal Protector, Oksana Astankova. 

They kiss each other like they are the only people that matter.

They kiss each other like they are lovers.

Their heads break through the water, and Eve pulls away from Oksana to laugh.

Oksana stares.

Eve is beautiful. Her hair is drenched and stuck awkwardly to her face. Water drips down her face. Her laugh bounces off the cliffs on either side of them. The noise fills Oksana up.

Fills her up and makes her explode.

“I love you.”

The laughter stops and the only sound in the water filled canyon is heavy breathing and scurrying rats on the banks of the river.

Eve shakes her head. “Don’t say that.”

“I do. I love you,” Oksana repeats, nodding her head to herself.

“Oksana, we can’t-I can’t.” Eve hurries to the river banks and leaves Oksana swimming in place in the middle of the river.

The next day, Oksana is informed the will be traveling to the other isles for three months. She’ll be away from Gristol for three months. As Niko informs her, Oksana stares at the Queen beside him who will not meet her eye.

Oksana exits the throne room without saying goodbye.


	3. Sweet Poison, Bitter Hearts, and Ice

Oksana’s head bursts out from under the water, sputtering and gasping for breath. A bullet hits the water near her head and she goes back underwater.

_ Fuck _.

They were trying to kill her. 

Oksana swims underwater til she feels the slimy mud of the bank. She grips the plants and pulls herself up on the bank. It’s in a small cave that gives her protection from the guards in the forecourt. Rocks harshly jab her back. Although, she doesn’t mind too much as fresh air fills her lungs. 

In.

Hold.

Out.

Once on her side, she throws up copper tasting water. It’s then she notices the dead bodies lining the river.

She crawls away on her ass and wipes her arms off. 

Then she throws up again.

If she got the rat plague…

It wasn’t even an option.

Oksana stands and looks down at her soaked rags. Hopefully her new friends stashed some armor for her because these prison rags are filthy, and too small. 

She opens the door to the sewer with a loud creak and finally sneaks to safety. A couple guards on the way but nothing she couldn't handle. In all honesty, she couldn't even be bothered to think about them for more than a second. 

She was too busy thinking about who she was. She wasn't Oksana anymore. She could feel that to her very core. Those months in Coldridge prison changed her into something a bit crueler. Someone a bit less human. Maybe it was living with the rats. Maybe it was knowing her very soul is kidnapped and maybe even murderer.

In her mind she doesn't refer to herself as Oksana. It doesn't click with the guards mention they are looking for Oksana that they are looking for her.

She just murders them and keeps pushing forward.

There's a chest near the end of the sewers with a retractable sword and a crossbow. The crossbow would have been handy for someone who wanted to sneak and maybe not even kill the guards. 

Oksana would have snuck and used the crossbow.

This person she's become. She wants to be as flamboyant as possible and to have Anton and Raymond shaking with fear, knowing she's coming for the crown.

Her pistol is louder than the screams and cries of the last few soldiers.

Then, like air filling her lungs, sunlight hits her skin outside of the sewers and she is reborn something new.

"Oksana, it is wonderful to finally see you!"

She looks at the man with white hair and kind eyes. Next to him is a small speed boat, runs on whale oil like all the electricity. He smiles at her until he notices the large amount of blood on her clothes and visibly pales.

"Do not worry," she pats his back and steps in to the boat. "It is not my blood." She throws her head back laughs.

"That’s what worries me. I’m Bill, I work for the people that broke you out. They are good people." 

"And so am I. I just have priorities. Like escaping and reaching you, my friend."

Bill looks her up and down. "I didn’t think you would manage to get out. I’ll owe Konstantin a drink. Well," he steps on the boat and sits down next to the motor, "sit down and I’ll take you to them, just down the river."

"Are we saving, Eve?"

"I do believe that is the plan. Save Lady Eve, make her empress and you will go back to being her Royal Protector, maybe even her Royal Spymaster."

"Eve will be Empress and that is all that will matter." She sits down and rubs her blood stained knees. "I dived into the river."

Bill starts the boat. "So, that’s why you're covered in blood? Not because you happened to murder people?"

"No, I did that, too. The river was just where all my prison rags got covered in blood."

"We found your old mercenary armor and Carolyn's son Kenny is very smart. He is making a high tech mask for you to wear.”

“My armor will need tailored. I am no longer the frail pest I was then. But… it will be better than those ugly royal protector and guardsmen uniforms. And much better than these rags.” She picks at the burnt hole in the shoulder of the rag. “Is Eve alive?”

“We assume Lady Eve is alive. That is why we broke you out.”

* * *

** **

This group who broke her out store their operations in a bar. A fucking bar. The blonde judged the dusty counters and ran her fingers along the bar. She walked up to Carolyn and Konstantin and blew the dust off her fingers towards them.

“Ah, I see you were correct about her,” Carolyn says turning towards Konstantin.

He nods and turns to the woman. “I am admiral Vasiliev.”

“I am here to find Eve,” she states and looks between them. “If that is what you have in mind. I will work for you. If not, I leave.”

Carolyn smiles and nods. “That is one of our priorities.”

“What are the others?”

“The people who planned this. The ones that murdered Emperor Niko, they will die.”

“Okay. I will do it.” She picks up a pint and chugs before slamming it down on the bar. “When and who do I kill first?”

Konstantin laughs and slides his hands in his coat. “Why don’t you get some rest first, Oksana? We-”

“That is not my name.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oksana was the royal protector. I am no longer the royal protector. Besides it wouldn’t be wise for me to make new friends under the same name as the most wanted woman in the isles.”

“So what is your name?” Carolyn humors. 

“Villanelle.”

Konstantin chuckles. “Like the poem?”

“No, like the poison.” Villanelle turns towards him with her head tilt. “Don’t you know of it?”

“No, I do not.”

“It tastes very sweet. Like a plum.”

“You...tasted it before?” Konstantin asks.

Villanelle smiles. “Of course. I would want to know what it tasted like. I did not swallow it.”

Carolyn clears her throat. “Konstantin is right. You should get some rest. The top floor has been made into a completely private room for you. But before you do, go check in with Kenny. He has finished your mask and probably has some other things up his sleeves for you.”

“Will do. I also heard you have my old armor?”

“It is in your room. Admiral Vasiliev stole it before leaving the castle.”

“Thank you.” Villanelle turns and begins walking away from the pair before pausing. She slowly turns and stares at them for a moment. “Eve will surprise you two. She isn’t the damsel I can tell you two think she is.”

* * *

** **

Eve is thankful that Oksana taught her how to punch. Actually, she even impressed Oksana with her left hook.

_ “Hit me,” Oksana said. She had her hands gripping the front of her lose belt. Fuck, her whole outfit was a distractiont to Eve. A loose white shirt tucked, barely buttoned, tucked into the loose black trousers tapered and slid into her official boots. Her sword hung off the belt on her left hip and her pistol hanging on the right. _

_ “What?” Eve asked. _

_ Oksana looked smug as she repeated, “Hit-” _

_ Eve’s left hand connected with Oksana’s jaw and Oksana’s entire head followed the momentum. _

_ “Fuck!” Eve yelled as she grabbed her hand. She never realized that hitting someone also hurts her hand. _

_ Rubbing her jaw and the blooming purple bruise, Oksana laughed. “Well, fuck me.” _

_ Eve laughed. “You told me, too.” _

_ Oksana smiled and then grabbed Eve’s bruising hand. Pulled her against her. “I think I just told you to do something else, too.” _

So when Lord Peel yanks open the door to the closet Eve is kept in, her hand connects with his nose.

“Ow!” He grabs his nose and hunches over. "You broke my nose!"

Eve takes the chance to try to escape when her wrist is caught. "Let me go!" She yells.

"Listen, just go along with us and we won't hurt you," Lady Peel begs of Eve.

"Oksana will kill you!"

Aaron laughs behind her. Grips her biceps tightly and leans next to her ear. "Oksana is dead. Today was her execution. I would have loved to went and watched it, but I was stuck here with her whore."

Eve freezes. 

Oksana couldn't be dead.

That is impossible.

Isn't it?

There’s a long shot, but she can try something.

* * *

** **

The bed is stiffer than the floor. Villanelle readjusts for the countless time before pulling out to mask Kenny made her. Mechanical steel. An ability to zoom if she pressed her fingers to a certain spot. This was higher technology than they had in the castle.

She was right about her armor needing tailored. The arms and legs were too tight from her gained muscle and weight from being Royal Protector.

Oksana places the mask on the floor next to her boots and the dead cockroach before slipping under the one blanket on the cardboard mattress.

It doesn't take long for her sore body to give into sleep.

And of course, even dreaming is no longer easy.

When she wakes up, Villanelle knows she is not truly awake. There was a heavy ice in her bones, yet she also feels like she is floating. 

Rolling her eyes, she sits up and throws her feet off the side of the bed. Her boots are gone, along with the mask. Frankly, she doesn’t want to walk barefoot but she doesn’t have a choice. Villanelle stands and makes her way towards the door of the room.

The world is broken.

Fallen apart, fractured.

Parts roam here and there and everywhere.

The lack of gravity on the actual ground, but a strong gravity on her skull makes Villanelle dizzy.

“Why couldn’t I be normal,” she mumbles to herself as she climbs the staircase sat in front of her.

“Hello, Villanelle,” says a form appearing in front of her. 

Villanelle laughs. “You again.”

The woman, paler than last time, seemingly more tired, smiles at Villanelle. The smile never meets her voidless black eyes. “Yes, but not you again. You’re someone different this time. The Emperor dying, your Eve being stolen, and you now the pivotal role in saving Dunwall.”

“You knew this was going to happen,” Villanelle guesses. 

“I know a lot of things. I knew I chose Villanelle many years ago to take my mark. It took some time for her to be born.”

“You’re the Outsider. You killed my mother and brother.”

The Outsider tilts her head. “Your mother killed your brother and you killed her. I had no part in that.”

Villanelle reaches for her sword and goes to swing but by the time she is cutting through the Outsider, she’s moved to behind Villanelle. “You’re _ religion _ made my mother cut out my brother’s bones and use them as a sacrifice to you! I had no choice.”

“Just like you have no choice about taking my mark.”

The back of her left hand burns, and she drops the sword to grab her hand and study the glowing white mark. She bites her lip to hold back a scream as the searing pain doesn’t stop.

Then it fades, and with it the mark turns from glowing white to a black mark. A half circle with a line through it sort of like a compass. Something unnatural about the design that unsettled Villanelle. There was a feeling of ice to it, the same feeling of the void. Villanelle has never experienced anything quite like it or cold as it.

“There’s forces in the world and beyond. Great forces that you’re kind like to refer to as magic but it isn’t quite that. Untapped strength that I’m giving you the ability to reach and use however you want. Now, to see if you truly understand how to use this gift…” The Outsider semi bows, “come find me.”

And she’s gone.

Villanelle laughs and smiles to herself. There’s a throbbing in her muscles and she feels...alive. She hasn’t felt this good in a long time. 

Taking off in a light sprint, Villanelle jumps from broken rock to broken rock until there’s one she knows she can’t make the jump. She looks at the pale blue void around her and wonders if she would fall forever. 

_ Untapped strength _.

Villanelle studies her left hand, holding it up, and thinks about being over the gap. She closes her eyes and feelings ice pricking her veins.

Then she is over the gap.

But she isn’t somewhere she wants to be. In the small stone gazebo with Niko’s dead body. She picks up the letter and reads the repeated message.

_ SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. SHE’LL NEVER LOVE YOU NOW. _

Villanelle tosses the paper down and continues. The more she does the blinking, that’s what she refers to the teleportation as, the more it becomes natural. Like the void has always been in her veins. A couple more jumps and she finds her.

Not the outsider but Eve. Frozen in time.

The Peel twins are around her. Lord Aaron Peel has a death grip on Eve and Villanelle wants nothing more than to plunge her sword in his stomach. The time would come for that. Lady Peel is partaking in the man-handling of Eve but she is just as guilty.

A letter hands out of Eve’s pocket and Villanelle swipes this one, too.

_ Oksana, _

_ I have been informed you were executed this morning. I do not believe it. You are far to crafty to be executed. So I will write this letter, stick it in a bottle and hope you find it on your escape from the prison. _

_ I do not have much time but I am with the Peel twins. They frequent the Golden Cat often and I hope you are able to make your way there and find out where they reside. They move me every few days and I’m never quite sure where I am. _

_ I miss you and I have complete faith that I will see you again. I did have you train me. Maybe it will be me coming to rescue you. _

Villanelle smiles. She hopes that is true. She would love for it to be Eve saving her.

“Your trials in the coming days will be great, Villanelle.”

“Do you always talk like that? It’s so dramatic.”

The Outsider smiles and ignores her. “Shrines and runes. One’s made out of whale bones not like the one your mom made. They will help you access your true power. Concentrate your abilities. Here is this to help you find them,” the Outsider conjures up a small mechanical and fleshy object.

Villanelle takes it and is disturbed by the warmth it gives off. It beats in her hand. “A heart?”

“Molded by my hands. It will give you the secrets in the walls of this cities and in the minds of anyone. It will also help guide you on your conquest.”

There’s an uncomfortable familiarity to the heart. Villanelle squeezes the sides of it, noticing how the pace of it’s beat speeds up. She flinches when she hears it whisper right behind her.

“This place is the beginning and ending of everything. Life is starting and being devoured as we stand in nothingness.”

Villanelle jerks around, swearing her mother was behind her. She turns back to the Outsider. “I don’t want this.”

“It is not your choice. You have been chosen. I will be watching you with great interest.”

And with that, Villanelle drifts off into actual sleep.


	4. Orion

With much surprise, when Villanelle wakes up, the Outsider’s mark is still on her hand with the same icy burn. She clenches and unclenches her fist a few times, studying the slight shake of her hand as if she was an alcoholic. Then she climbs out of her bed. 

Her tailored armor is on a dresser just across the room.

What a perfect time to-

Villanelle stumbles as she stands in front of the dresser. She notices that her boots are knocked over and some papers fell off a near by coffee table.

_ So it isn’t quite teleportation _ , Villanelle thinks to herself. And she’s correct, it’s more of moving at a high speed that she can travel a small distance in only a few milliseconds. But she still needs to test what this distance is.

Her armor fits good. Fantastic. It sits on her like a second skin but she can’t help but remember who she was the last time she wore this armor. A petty mercenary bought for the heretic’s side in the civil war. Villanelle truthfully wasn’t very educated on the Outsider legend at the time. Her mother was too poor to send her to school, and she didn’t have very many friends. Part of the reason Villanelle became a hand for hire was her mother got pregnant with her younger brother. 

After her brother was born, Orion Astankova, her mother started believing in the Outsider. 

_ “Mother? Orion?” Oksana called out, ducking under the boarded doorway into the broken down home. “Orion are you in here?” She draws her blood stained sword. _

_ _ _ “Okthana,” he pronounced it with a lisp. Just a lisp, not anything their mother claimed was a sign or something. The 4 year old boy ran up to Oksana and jumped in her arms. _

_ _ _ “Fuck,” she groaned as she caught him. “You’re getting-” _

_ _ _ “You sthaid a bad word,” he interrupted with a giggle. _

_ _ _ “Also becoming quite the smart-ass I see.” _

_ _ _ He tries to repeat her but realized quickly she said that word on purpose. Oksana couldn’t believe how intelligent the kid was. _

_ _ _ “So where’s momma, O?” Oksana asked while putting Orion down. _

_ _ _ “Thee’s building thomething for me.” _

_ _ _ “She’s building something for you?” Oksana ruffled his long shaggy blonde hair. Quite the thick mop of it. “Is that so?” she mumbled to herself. “Well, go on, show me.” _

_ _ _ He ran in front of her. _

_ _ _ Cobwebs were collected on boxes and dead cockroaches laid on the floor. _

_ _ _ “Momma! Mom! Okthana isth home!” _

_ _ _ “Oksana? Oksana? Who is-” an old lady with frail hair, almost bald stares at Oksana. She looked her up and down.  _

_ _ _ “Hello, mother,” Oksana greeted. She glanced around the disgusting woman at- “Is that a fucking shrine?” Oksana pushed her mother and marched up to it. “Orion, go to your bedroom.” _

_ _ _ “I don’t have one anymore. Mom needed it “ _

_ _ _ “Excuse me? Oksana jerked around. “Why doesn’t he have a bedroom?” _

_ _ _ “I have clients staying up there.” Her mother rubbed her blackened arm. _

_ _ _ “So you’re whoring-” _

_ _ _ That same hand that was rubbing her arm stopped before connecting with Oksana’s face. “You watch your fucking tone with me. Where have you been?” _

_ _ _ “Working mother.” _

_ _ _ “You are selling yourself too. Maybe not your body but your soul. The Outsider tells me you will die one day.” _

_ _ _ “The Outsider isn’t real mother.” _

_ _ _ “She calls you Villanelle. Says in the blood of Oksana will be born Villanelle.” _

_ _ _ Oksana shakes her head and turns back around. She rubs her fingers against the shrine. “I am leaving tonight. I will not be home for a long time mother. I have brought over 2000 gold for Orion. It will pay for 4 years of school. I should return home before then but…” _

_ _ _ “You didn’t…” her mother began. _

_ _ _ Oksana pulled a leg of the shrine and made the whole thing come down. She points the wooden leg into her mother’s throat. “I did. I will be fighting for your kind but otherwise I would kill everyone one of you goddamn heretics and your false god.” _

_ _ _ “Won’t even fight for what you believe in.” Her mother scoffed. “You’re just a no good greedy mercenary.” _

_ _ _ “Yes, I am. And you are a terrible mother. But you are going to take care of that boy like your life depends on it.” Oksana leaned forward and tilted her head. “Because it does. If I come home at any point and you have a fucking shrine in here again or he is in anyway endangered, I will kill you and bring him to Dunwall where he can grow in the in Slackjaw’s gang. Not the best childhood, but it will make him strong and independent. Something you never were.” _

_ _ _ Her mother didn’t speak to her again. Oksana picked up a crying Orion and sang a lullaby to him before taking him on a walk around Karnaca. When they returned home, he begged and begged her not to go and she promised she would be home and the next time they saw each other it will feel like no time passed. _

_ _ _ Oksana never saw her brother alive and smiling again. _

Villanelle made her way downstairs after wrapping her hands. The Loyalists may be okay with the Outsider or heretics themselves but Villanelle didn’t want to find out if they weren’t. Well, maybe Bill and Kenneth. They seemed like honest people. She looks down and tightens her belt with her pistol, crossbow, and sword. Not looking, Villanelle bumps into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says. She’s tall, taller than Villanelle. Dark skin, pretty, looked like she was upper class at one point.

“Do I know you?” Villanelle asks.

“Maybe? I was Eve’s friend. I think we met in passing a few times.”

“Elena!” Villanelle exclaims. “Yes. You are the one who tried to outdrink me at Niko and Eve’s wedding.”

“I… don’t remember that, but if I was trying to outdrink someone from Karnaca, that makes sense.” She laughs. “You know, at first I thought you did it.”

“I thought about it,” Villanelle admits. It would have been easy to kill Niko. She could have poisoned him during an important meeting, blamed it on the diplomat, and helped Eve while grieving her husband she never loved.

“I uh... “ Elena drops her voice, “know about your and Eve’s affair.”

“The whole country practically knew didn’t they?”

“Maybe, but Eve told me.”

Villanelle smiles. Of course, Eve did. “What did she say?”

“Way too much,” Elena scoffs. 

Villanelle ponders for a moment staring at Elena. She thinks about the heart. What it would tell her about Elena. 

Then there’s a beating in her hand.

Villanelle studies the heart in her hand.

“You okay, mate?” Elena asks at Villanelle silence. She can’t see the heart.

“Yeah, sorry, just thinking about Eve.” Villanelle keeps looking down. To Elena, she’s studying her shoes, maybe a little embarrassed. In actuality she is staring at her mother’s mechanical heart.

“You’re going to get her back,” Elena reassures. She begins to walk away.

Villanelle squeezes the heart gently.

_ “She’s a lot like you. A fighter. Earned everything she’s gotten. She worries you will hurt Eve.” _

Villanelle shakes her hand and the heart disappears. 

“Elena?” Villanelle calls out.

Elena turns and leans against the doorway to the bunks. “Yeah?”

“Nothing’s going to happen to her. I won’t let anything happen.”

“Okay. Otherwise you’d have to deal with me.” Elena nods and then overdramatically spins and walks into the bunks.

Villanelle finishes making her way down stairs where Carolyn and Konstantin are already up and at ‘em. She makes her way over and wraps a languid arm around Konstantin’s shoulders. 

“We were just talking about you. Do you want to take a seat?” Konstantin asks while pushing Villanelle off him. 

Rolling her eyes, Villanelle pushes herself up on the bar and stares at Konstantin and Carolyn. “Well, what is it?”

“Listen, Villanelle, we know assassination is a dark business. But sometimes bad things are required of good people,” Carolyn begins. “We just want to find Eve and give her, her throne. We’ll work in the shadows and take no credit.”

“Okay. I can do that,” Villanelle says with a shrug. 

Carolyn smiles. “Good, because tonight you will kill High Overseer Raymond. It will not be easy. There will be dozens of overseers. But… Konstantin seems to think you can do it.”

“She can. It won’t even be a challenge will it?” Konstantin asks.

“Of course not. It won’t even be a challenge. Is that all?” Villanelle hopes off the bar. 

“Yes. Bill is waiting for you at the boat. He’ll bring you as close as you can,” Carolyn says. 

Villanelle looks between the pair, sensing it was time for her to leave. There was something happening between the two. Probably sleeping together.

The morning light blinds her as she first walks out. Then there's an insistent, annoying voice prying her skull.

"Oksana-oks-Villanelle," Kenny's voice pokes at her head causing a deep headache.

“What do you want?” she asks with a hand over her eyes. 

“So, I have a question.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Villanelle lowers her hand and rests her hands on her belt.

Kenny stares at her not responding. 

Villanelle sighs. “What’s the question?”

“Oh! So, I have… a friend who used to be an overseer. Um… kinda annoying, you may know him. His name is Hugo,” Kenny begins.

And Villanelle does know of Hugo. She remembers threatening him at the end of a sword when he walked into her room unannounced and saw way more than an overseer should of Queen Eve. “I do. Why?”

“He is scheduled to be publicly executed today. After you… well after someone killed Niko and kidnapped Eve, he went rogue. Apparently they found and captured him.” Kenny looks down and rubs his hands together.

“You want me to rescue your damsel in distress?” Villanelle pries.

“If… if you happened to see him, yes. That would be nice,” Kenny finishes.

“I’ll make a detour to have your boyfriend and while I’m gone you look in to making me something special. Say perhaps, if someone had powers from the Outsider, would you be able to make something to help… strengthen those powers?” 

“Like bonecharms or runes?”

“Shush, don’t be so fucking loud.” Villanelle steps closer to Kenny. “But no. Something to make the dizziness go away. Like an instant hangover cure, but more efficient and multiple per an hour.”

“Possibly, all I can do is try.”

Villanelle holds her hand out to Kenny.

“Oh, that’s not-”

“Shake my damn hand, Kenneth.”

Kenny nods and shakes her hand. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it. I just want free supplies.” Villanelle shrugs and then walks down the staircase to the dock. “Good morning, Bill!”

Bill laughs and stands up in the small speed boat. “Morning. You seem… chipper.”

“I’m one step closer to saving Eve. After tonight, I’ll be even more closer after tonight.” Villanelle looks out at the sea. A small object bobs in the water. The corners of her lips rise.

“Yes, the death of High Overseer Raymond. Because death is going to bring us closer to Eve,” Bill says while rolling his eyes.

“Bill, how do you feel about the Outsider?” Villanelle wonders out loud while focusing on the small flat rock sticking out of the water by the small object. Her hand flexs. The rock was nearly twenty meters out.

“I don’t know, I tend-” 

Villanelle blinks to the rock-

Or tries to.

She gets soaked in the muddy, algae filled water. 

Smacking the water, and swinging her hands wildly eventually she bobs back up. Water spurts out her mouth while she stares at Bill.

“Well, isn’t that something,” he humors, holding back laughter. 

Villanelle flips him off and swims the rest of the way to the rock. She pulls herself up and grabs the small bottle. With her teeth, she pulls the cork out then shakes out the letter. A little bit of water got into the bottle but not enough to make it illegible.

The letter says the same thing the Outsider showed her. So it was true. The Outsider does know everything. But now this gave Villanelle proof for the other Loyalists. She laughs and lays back on the rock.

Everything was going to be okay.


	5. Our Plans Came True

Bill is entertaining. 

On their way to the docks, he makes Villanelle laugh multiple times. She loves hearing stories of Eve before she was the Eve Oksana knew. For that matter, Villanelle isn't the Oksana Eve knew.

Although, Villanelle doesn’t which Eve she’ll meet when she finds her. Maybe like herself, it will be someone new.

If she’ll be alive when she finds her.

“We know where she’s at now, thanks to that letter,” Bill interrupts the dark turn of Villanelle’s thoughts. 

She looks up with a raised eyebrow, “How?”

“It was obvious on your face. You worry too much.” Bill turns the boat towards a small beach. “Lady Eve is smart and if you two were truly close as the rumors say, then I’ll assume she is even more cunning than I remember.”

Villanelle laughs. “She’s strong too. If she really is with those Peel twins then I’m sure they’ve had their hands full. You ever think it’s weird those two never married?”

“I try not to spend much time thinking about the habits of Lord and Lady Peel.”

“Aaron called me a street rat one time. And then when I threatened to kill him and Eve made me stand down, he said he was wrong and I was more like a lost stray on a leash.”

As they pull up on the beach, Bill asks a final question, “Was he the one that gave an anonymous tip about your and Eve’s affair?”

“I believe so,” Villanelle answers, hiding that that isn’t the only agenda she had against Aaron and climbs out of the boat. “I won’t take too long. Meet me at the docks behind the backyard. It may be a swift exit.”

“Good luck, Oksana,” Bill says to himself as Villanelle disappears only to reappear on the actual docks.

* * *

_ “Peculiar,” Aaron states. _

_ He spins Oksana’s golden globe, noticing how certain cities light up once it is spun. _

_ “Where did someone like you get this?” he asks the question with the disgust of a scientist studying bugs. _

_ “It was a gift from a diplomat. When I’m visiting people’s homes I tend to very courteous.” Oksana walks around leaning against her desk. A week prior she lost the key to the center drawer and she doesn’t need Aaron putting his mole nose where it doesn’t belong. _

_ “Yes...homes. What is the Royal Protector having her own wing in Dunwall castle? My grandfather was Royal Protector and he lived down with the rest of us Lords. Although, you aren’t even a Lady so maybe that’s why.” Aaron stops the globe and walks towards Oksana. He glances at the desk behind her. _

_ “No, I wasn’t born into this lifestyle Aaron, I actually earned my way here.” She stepped forward against him. _

_ “A street rat spreading its plague, isn’t earning its way.” Aaron steps around Oksana and yanks open the desk drawer. He gives out a fake laugh. “You are studying royal traditions?” _

_ Clenching her jaw, Oksana imagines cracking his head against the desk. Watching his blood cover her books and journals would satisfy her. _

_ “You don’t even know how to dance at a ball? Well isn’t this something.” _

_ She keeps her mouth shut as he flicks through her journals. Listening to his stupid laugh every time he found potential blackmail. He rips out a page here and there. _

_ “Oh!” He exclaims. “What do we have here? A plan to kill Niko?” _

_ It was just a boring mistake Oksana made. She had heard of the assassin, The Ghost, and she imagined if she could use her powers then she could kill Niko. So on a drunken night, one too many bottles of wine shared with another, Oksana made a plan. A plan she didn’t know yet, but she would see carried out in a year’s time. _

* * *

Villanelle pulls herself up onto a rooftop. There’s a light spray of mist coming from the sky, making the rooftops a little more slick than she would like, but it’s better than the alleyways full of rats. With her feet hanging off the edge of the cement trimming of the house, she takes off the mask for a moment. There’s a crisp apple waiting for her in her chest bag.

From youth, Villanelle was something comparable to a barbarian. Climbing buildings, eating without manners, and picking fights. She was messy and dangerous to some onlookers. To others, she was tatty and rude. Either way, some of these habits were pushed away when she started living in Dunwall Castle. However, it was always obvious when Villanelle ate.

With the back of her hand, she wipes the juice and bits of apple on her chin and cheeks. Then placing the core of the apple down beside her for later, she picks her mask back up. 

One could only describe the mask as something magnificent. Red, luxurious velvet that made it comfortable on her face. And then what others saw. A steel plate skull, harsh angles, and a little bit of red peeking through. All framed with golden wires to run to the magnifying glasses. 

It could only be described as barbaric.

Villanelle puts the mask on and pulls out the crossbow. She loads the machine and rests it in her left hand across her lap. Then she picks the apple core back up. A small toss to make a guard walk away, separate himself from the others. She raises the crossbow, aims for his head.

Her feet hit the ground with a soft thud as his body drops to the ground masking her sound. The other guards turn and Villanelle puts the crossbow away to blink right behind the farthest back guard. On the first blink, the dizziness isn’t too overwhelming.

“It must’ve been a rat,” she whispers in his ear before slitting his throat with her sword. 

The third and last guard jerks around, stumbling back but managing to keep his footing. 

“Who are you?” He asks while his shaking hand goes towards his pistol. 

Villanelle blinks in front of him and grabs his pistol from him. As she swallows vomit, she tosses the pistol away.

“What are you?” he fixes his question.

Then with a quiet slice, he drops amongst his friends. 

Villanelle bends down and wipes the blood off her sword with his uniform before folding it shut and tucking it away. She gives herself a moment to settle before blinking on to the venting systems to make her way out of the Distillery District and towards the office of the High Overseer.

* * *

The Peel twins had been arguing more than usual. This was good for Eve. Oksana wasn’t the only one who taught Eve things. This was one of Eve’s biggest lessons to Oksana. 

Just listen.

People will always say more than they mean to.

“She escaped!” Aaron yells from the floor below Eve. “What do you mean, ‘she escaped’?”

“I don’t know, A,” Amber says a lot softer than her brother. Eve lays down on the floor to put her ear to the brittle wood. There are water spots on the walls of the small room she was trapped in. 

“You don’t know? Of course, you don’t because you're as bright as a fucking turned off light.”

“Aaron-”

“No, stay here in the fucking whore house. I’m going to go make sure she isn’t looking for Eve.”

Doors slam and there’s crying. Eve’s learned very quickly that Amber Peel isn’t a very strong person. Mentally or physically. 

But that’s not the part Eve cares about right now.

Her Oksana is alive. Eve pictures the toothy grin, one tooth busted out because Eve knows that they stole her gold tooth from her in prison. Busted it out while trying to-Eve blushes thinking about it.

“Fuck, I need to get out of here,” Eve whispers to herself. She stands up and looks around. Moving furniture, going from wall to wall. 

A key shakes in the lock outside the door and Eve hurries to sit down in her bed.

“It’s okay, it’s just me,” Amber says. She closes the door behind her, not locking it. “Aaron’s went out for a bit.”

Eve knows she can overpower Amber easily. Hell, if it came down to it, she could kill Amber. But what would happen then? Before Eve could get out of the Golden Cat, guards would swarm her because Amber would scream. Eve watches Amber sit down beside her, putting the keyring behind them.

Then a sob erupts out of her. “I don’t even want to keep you here,” Amber admits and throws her arms around Eve.

Eve slowly hugs her back, only with one arm. The other pushes the keyring to fall between her bed and the wall. “Then why not let me go?”

Amber pulls away from Eve. “Aaron found this plan. He gave it to Raymond and Anton trying to get her in trouble-”

“Her?”

“Oksana. He said he found it in her diary,” Amber explains, watching as Eve stands up and walks away.

She feels a little light-headed.

It couldn’t be possible.

All of this, because of a drunken night?

Eve takes a stuttering breath. 

“That plan wasn’t just Oksana’s.”

* * *

Villanelle slices through an Overseer’s throat and watches him drop to the ground. 

“Holy shit, Oksana! I never thought I’d be so happy to see you,” Hugo exclaims. He’s on his knees, head and hands locked in a metal contraption. “There’s a lever over there if you would be so kind.”

Villanelle strolls and releases the lever, allowing Hugo to fall forward. She grabs his hair, yanking his head back, and holds her sword to his throat. “It’s Villanelle from now on.”

“Yes, okay! Villanelle! Whatever!” Hugo stands up when she lets go of him.

“How did you know it was me?” She asks sliding her sword away.

“Kenny showed me the blueprints for the mask. Then I was sent to free you from prison. Put two and two together.” Hugo holds a hand out to Villanelle. “Thank you.”

She spits on her hand before shaking his hand. “Do you know anything that would be of help?”

Wiping his hand off on his pants, he responds, “Raymond is meeting with a guard named Diego. As far as I know, he plans to poison him. Wouldn’t it be tragic if the glasses got mixed up?”

“Hugo, you keep your eyes to yourself and I might actually begin to like you,” Villanelle replies and pats his back. She turns as she walks away, “Bill is waiting at the docks behind the backyard. Can you get there on your own?”

“I should be able to manage. Good luck, Villanelle.” 

* * *

_ “You’re so beautiful,” Oksana told Eve as she braided her hair. Eve’s seated on a stool at the end of the bed while Oksana sat cross-legged on the end of her bed, wine goblet wedged in her lap. _

_ Eve swirled the wine in her glass. “Out of anyone that’s said that you’re the first person who truly sounds like they mean it. You say it with your entire being.” _

_ “It’s the only thing I’m sure of Eve. I would tell you it 24/7 if I could,” Oksana admitted as she dropped the finished braid and began pulling it apart to redo. _

_ Eve grew quiet, as she fell further in her thoughts. _

_ Oksana noticed. She dropped Eve’s hair and moved her goblet before letting her legs fall off the end of the bed and pulling Eve to lay back against her. Her arms draped over Eve’s shoulders and her head rested on top of Eve’s. The fireplace in the wall right of them had a crackling fire. Oksana watched the reds, oranges, and yellows with the despair of knowing she’d never truly be in Eve’s mind, the same way she’ll never know what makes fire burn with such passion. _

_ “Have you ever heard of the Ghost?” Eve asked, ripping apart the loud silence. _

_ “The Ghost?” Oksana scoffs. “She’s a fairytale, told to children to keep them from sneaking out at night.” _

_ “What if she’s not? What if the Outsider granted her powers?” Eve asked. _

_ This was Eve’s pitfall. The Outsider. Eve could have been very easily labeled a heretic. She didn’t worship the Outsider, but she also never denied the Outsider’s existence. Oksana didn’t humor her ideas but she also let Eve speak freely in her room. Truth be told, Oksana enjoyed watching Eve talk with such fierceness about her theories and studies on this elder being. _

_ “Eve, as the royal protector, I feel like I would know of someone that powerful,” Oksana chuckled. _

_ Next thing she knew, Eve pulled herself from Oksana’s grip and jumped up. “What if we hired her?” Eve said. She made her way over to Oksana’s desk and flipped to an open page in the journal on her desk. She spoke out loud every detail of her plan. “We hire the Ghost to kill Niko as Royal Spymaster Anton and him have a meeting. We make sure she knows to not kill Anton, and he gets framed for it. I go missing during this. We can keep me somewhere-” _

_ Oksana had walked up behind Eve and spun her around, “-and I will find you. I’ll bring you back and because you and Niko never had a child, you will be named Empress.” Oksana leaned down to kiss her Queen.-her future Empress. As she pulls away, she says, “Everyone loves the story about the knight saving the princess. We would be able to make our relationship public. Say you fell in love with me while I helped you grieve your dearly departed Niko.” _

_ “Oksana, we could do this. We could be Empress and Queen of the Isles,” Eve said while she pulled Oksana down into a deeper kiss. _

* * *

The office has about twice as many Overseers in it than normal. They must’ve all been on high alert since they knew Villanelle escaped prison. Little did they know, Villanelle is right above them. 

Crouching on the pipework, she watches as two Overseers talk in the hallway. They don’t talk about anything in particular so she keeps moving. It occurs to her, out of the countless times she’s been down these halls, that spies and assassins alike had very easy access in this building. They could run wires along the pipes, fry anyone who tried to use them. Villanelle files that in her mind to let Eve know once she returns her to the throne.

Villanelle finally allows her some moments to think about Eve, while she sneaks through the office.

She prays for once, that Eve just does nothing. Eve had a streak fiercer than anything in Villanelle, and that could get her in a lot of trouble. So Villanelle also knows, it’s likely Eve won’t be completely unscathed when she finds her.

Another thought troubles Villanelle.

Anton, and Raymond. The Peels. Whoever is mixed up in this mess. What reason did they have for keeping Eve alive?

In her and Eve’s plan, it was so her and Eve could marry.

If they were going to do that, they would need something to hold against Eve so that she would agree to marry whoever they have lined up to marry her.

So why have Villanelle killed?

They didn’t hire the Ghost either. The Ghost was rumored to be a woman. Maybe she was the masked one. The one that kept Villanelle from reaching Niko or Eve. So who was she working for?

Villanelle lifts up a vent to slide underneath it into an empty room. There’s a long table in the center, two drinks seated on it. Then she feels it. The heart pounding in her hand. 

Glancing around, she spots it. 

_ Oh boy. _

High Overseer Raymond is a heretic. Villanelle jumps off the ledge and into the room. She strolls over to the rune hanging above the fireplace. When she grabs it, her whole body flinches. Adrenaline runs through her veins with the same ice as the void. Muscles flex, and her veins bulge blue, green, and purple against her pale skin. The rune dissipates.

“Fuck,” Villanelle groans, as her muscles release. She rubs her neck and makes her way over to the drinks on the table. “Now, which one of you are poisoned?” Villanelle summons the heart.

_ Poisoned with your namesake, the one on the left. You could mix the drinks, dear. Poison them both. Satisfy that bloodlust in your soul. _

Villanelle shakes the heart away and stares at the drinks. She could kill them both. There was the possibility, Diego could be as dirty as Raymond.

No.

That was her mother trying to get to her. Villanelle needs to draw the line somewhere.

Villanelle swaps the drinks and then heads out the window to the flat awning. She watches as Raymond enters with Diego.

“I do not mean to come across as angry, Diego, but it is required of me,” Raymond says as he follows behind Diego.

“No, I understand. I didn’t know Nadia had gotten involved with Lord Regent Anton,” Diego admits.

“Not many people do. She was a whore, after all,” Raymond chuckles. “Would you care for a drink?”

“Sure,” Diego agrees and walks over. 

The two clink glasses for drinking. 

“This is fine liquor, Raymond,” Diego compliments.

“Yes, very sweet, wouldn’t you agree?”

Diego lifts his glass and studies it. “Mine was actually that-”

Raymond lets out a violent cough. “How-” His cough gets worst and Villanelle takes that as her cue to leave.


	6. Falling in love is wonderful, Falling in love is so alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen to the new Lumineers album because it's good and I said so.

_ _ "You have some blood," Hugo gestures to his entire body. 

_ _ Villanelle doesn't respond. Her thumbs drags across the sharp metal cheeks of the mask. She'd be wearing it when she finds Eve tomorrow. Will Eve have already heard of her crimes? The crimes of the masked killer?

_ _ Will Eve even be happy to see her?

Villanelle may have not killed Niko, but it was her plan. Actually, it was Eve's plan but Eve is very good at blaming everyone but herself. 

One thing's forsure.

Aaron Peel needs to die, but not before Villanelle can torture him in the most perverse pleasing ways. She needs to know who he told, who knows the plan, and if the plan itself has her involved.

"That's a cool-"

"Hugo, if you do not shut up, I will press your frail little face into the motor of this damn boat," Villanelle says and looks up to stare at him. Without looking away from Hugo, she addresses Bill, "First thing tomorrow we will leave for the Golden Cat, okay?"

"Dawn's breaking, you need sleep Villanelle," Bill scolds.

"I need Eve!" she accidentally yells. 

Bill and Hugo's eyes widen.

Villanelle shakes her head and looks down at the mask. "I just need Eve," she says quieter. That ice ached in her veins with ice cold power and she needed Eve to help her deal with. 

Neither of the men responds, so she conjures up the heart and squeeze are bit tighter than usual.

_ They think you're going mad. They fear you, dear. Fear is power. Take ad- _

Villanelle makes the heart disapate. Her mother is itching at that dark, dark corner in the back of Villanelle's mind. The one that Eve had worked so hard to tell Villanelle that it isn't bad but it needed contained. Eve explained to her that there was a time and place for it.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to blow up. Bill, I think you're right. I will get some sleep when we get back." It's a lie, and she isn't sorry. But she doesn't want to manipulate them with fear. Doesn't want to go down that path.

* * *

Bronze coating and a slight rust covered the keyring. 

_ Eve killed her husband _ .

There were seven keys on the ring.

_ Eve killed her husband _ .

The smallest one fit this door.

_ Eve killed her husband _ .

She could just leave.

_ Eve killed her husband. _

Oksana taught her enough about how to get out.

_ Oksana _ .

Eve stands from her bed and rubs her face with her forearms. 

Did Oksana give them the plan? Was she...is this because Eve refused to say I love you back? It would explain why she just happened to escape. 

"Jesus Christ," Eve exclaims under her breath. 

Oksana used Eve. She probably has her own elaborate plan to save Eve just so she could become Queen here in a year or two. Then she'd probably off Eve and become Empress.

Practically the same plan Eve created to carry out against Niko.

Only difference was… Oksana loves her.

* * *

Villanelle grips the wooden wolf shaped pommel of her sword in her belt. She hasn't pissed with putting her armour on yet, rather just put on a thin grey button up and loose trousers. Her belt sits snug on her waist as she doesn't trust a single one of these bastards.

Elena walks out of the bunks and nods towards her. 

"Good morning," Villanelle addresses.

"There's still blood on your boots," Elena points out.

"It adds character to them," Villanelle replies, smiling.

"You're crazy." Elena walks beside Villanelle down the stairs.

"I'm just… jaded."

Elena rolls her eyes and scoffs. "Jaded to what? Killing people?"

"Yes, it is not as fun as before."

"Aren't you benumbed to all that?"

"Fun?"

"Yeah, and emotions and everything," Elena asks while stepping off the final step and turning to look at Villanelle.

Villanelle stops, using the chance to stand much taller than Elena. She stares at her, head slightly tilted. "Did Eve tell you that?"

"She told me you don't feel anything."

Villanelle bites her lip and smiles. "Of course she did."

"Villanelle, I'm not trying to start anything."

"Nothing to start. Eve's not here to fight with," Villanelle hops off the step. "But. And that's a very important but." She steps towards Elena to back Elena into the wall. "Eve will be back tonight. If you try to start a fight between me and her-If you even take Eve away from me tonight. I will kill you and I won't feel a fucking thing while doing it."

Elena doesn't flinch from Villanelle. "If you don't feel anything, then why do you even give a damn about Eve?"

"I feel more when I'm with Eve than you could ever dream of feeling."

"You love her, don't you?"

Villanelle's jaw tightened. Her mother had loved her father and look where it drove them. He was non-existent and her mother was fucking crazy. She told Eve she loved her, and look where it drove her. A fucking mercenary again just a bit more of a luxurious title.  _ Assassin _ .

So she doesn't respond. Villanelle takes a step back from Elena and heads into the pub. Konstantin sits at the bar. His only guests are a glass of whiskey and a plate of bacon. 

"You know liquor is bad for you?" Villanelle asks while taking his glass and sipping from it.

"You know it is your birthday?" Konstantin asks.

Villanelle sits down beside him and crosses her legs. "Is it?"

"How old were you when you started?"

"Started what?" Villanelle now steals a piece of bacon.

"Protecting Sir and Lady Polastri."

"I started on my twenty fourth birthday."

"And two years later, here you are," Konstantin gestures to the bar.

"Here I am. I want to go to the Golden Cat and get Eve."

Konstantin laughs, pouring more whiskey into his glass. "Yes, and that would probably be appropriate."

"But?" Villanelle sticks the last of her stolen piece of bacon in her mouth and stands up.

"There's some weepers in the sewer beneath the pub." 

Villanelle laughs. Full on laughs. Six months ago she was just thinking how she was too good to ever get her hands dirty with a few disgusting weepers.  _ Here I am. _ "Yeah, I'll take care of them." She starts to stroll towards the exit, armor would do her no good against a plague, and Konstantin calls out to her.

"Happy Birthday, Villanelle."

* * *

_ _ _ "So they informed I had to give a speech tonight," Oksana is wearing a lovely red and blue brocade suit that matches the velvet of the two thrones behind her. "I also was informed I wasn't allowed to have any weapons on me which…" she rolls her eyes and the hundred or so guests laugh politely. _

_ _ _ There's one guest that doesn't laugh. Just smiles sweetly and Oksana can't help but nod at her before carrying on. _

_ _ _ "It's my birthday… something I've never really celebrated before-especially not in this quantity-and I would have just went another year without celebrating it. But Eve- Queen Eve," Oksana corrects with a slight smirk. Not an accidental slip, she wanted people to know she felt close enough to the Queen to address her without her title. "decided to ask me when my birthday as I was," she chuckles and looks back at Eve's throne, "working one day and here we are now." _

_ _ _ Eve watches Oksana with a curious eye. She always watched her with such intrigue like Oksana was an entire lesson in of herself. Maybe she thought Oksana would sit on her throne again, although in front of dozens of guests was different in front of just Eve. _

_ _ _ "I'm not a sentimental person, so I'm not going to give this," she gives a faux Dunwall sappy accent, "long and deeply, deeply heart-warming speech about my life. It was shit. My mom was a whore, my dad was a Lord, and I'm a score." Oksana winks and sips her wine while people laugh. As they finish laughing she lowers her wine, holding the top of the rip with the very tips of her fingers. "I will say though…" she looks down as she debates saying this or not. Her decision is made when she looks back up at Eve, "I've been told I need to be more open. Honest. I struggle with that-telling the truth. Some people would say I like to be flamboyant or that I'm always pretending to me a different person. That I like attention. Human contact. A bit of a hoarder of people if that makes sense. I'll pretend to be whoever I need to be and lie to get people around me. So for this person, I will try to be honest." _

_ _ _ Oksana refuses to meet Eve's eye as she speaks. There's bubbling in her stomach that she isn't used to and pricking at her eyes. "Life is boring. It is! It really is… so fucking boring." Her voice cracks and she looks down for a moment. "Everyday I wake up and wonder why I have to keep doing this. Just a monotonous repeat of fucking boredom- of feeling absolutely nothing." Oksana looks back up and fixes the white scarf tucked delicately in her suit. "I don't understand how everyone else isn't itching with this boredom, burning for more and more and more. I can never get enough and trust me," Oksana laughs, "I try to make myself feeling something other than boredom. But then that just gets boring. Everything I do, I just go a little bit further every time but it doesn't fix it. I still feel nothing. I get hurt, or put myself in danger just so I can figure out how to escape. Nothing. I buy art, and clothes from shops down in the city. Expensive and beautiful. 'It'll make you feel something,'" Oksana raises her voice an octave for the quote, "it never does. I basically do whatever the fuck I want and in the end I realize… I didn't want to do it. I just did it because I was bored. I just…" she chews on her bottom lip and finally looks at Eve. _

_ _ _ Dear Eve, with tears in the corners of her eyes and is looking at Oksana with such pride. _

_ _ _ "I'm just afraid that I'll get bored of this too. And I don't ever want to be bored of this." She pauses to drive the point across to Eve. "So, Emperor Niko, Queen Eve, thank you both for allowing me to be your Royal Protector and thank you for giving me the birthday celebration of a lifetime." Oksana finishes and holds Eve's stare as the crowd claps. Eve slowly brings her hands up and claps too. _

_ _ _ Oksana steps off stage and walks into the crowd, not straight to Eve because that would draw unwanted attention. A thick hand grips her arm and twists her around. _

_ _ _ It offends her. "Excuse me. Can I help you?" _

_ _ _ The older gentleman, sweet eyes and an all white beard, chuckles. "Sorry, Oksana. I just wanted to say that was a lovely performance up there." _

_ _ _ "Do I know you?" She does. It's Konstantin Vasiliev. Admiral Vasiliev. She just likes forgetting him because it gets under his skin. _

_ _ _ "We've met a few times. Admiral Vasiliev?" He asks, biting his tongue. _

_ _ _ "Ah, yes, Konstasis." _

_ _ _ "Konstantin," he corrects.  _

_ _ _ "That's what I said." Oksana rudely smiles. "What do you mean performance?" _

_ _ _ "You feel 'nothing'-your words-but yet you seemed anxious and choked up. Very smart." Konstantin taps his temple. _

_ _ _ Oksana steps towards him and whispers, "Alright, big man, I can take you out of this room and shove this entire fucking glass up your-" _

_ _ _ "Oksana!" Eve exclaims from under the arm of her husband, Emperor Niko. "That was a lovely speech." _

_ _ _ Oksana steps away from Konstantin and half ass bows. "Thank you. It was just off the top of my head." _

_ _ _ Niko laughs. "Well, it will definitely help how the public sees you, being able to see the more intimate side of you." _

_ _ _ "Oh," Oksana laughs, "well, I keep my most intimate sides for special people."  _

_ _ _ It earns her a laugh from the crowd around her. _

_ _ _ "So, we got you a gift," Eve explains the long box she is holding. She holds it out to Oksana. _

_ _ _ "I thought we agreed no gifts?" Oksana raised an eyebrow. _

_ _ _ "Just this one won't hurt anybody, will it?" Niko jokes and gives a polite smile. _

_ _ _ "No, I suppose it wouldn't." Oksana runs her hand on the top of the dark wood, stopping her thumb on the first of three metal clasps. She flips it, then the second, and finally the third. With one last glance at Eve and Niko she opens it and her eyebrows raise. "Emperor Polastri, Queen Eve, this is beyond beautiful." _

_ _ _ Oksana reaches into the box, running her fingers along the Tyvian metal blade. Easily the most luxurious and sought after metal in all the isles. The actual blade was a little over a foot long which confused her, too long to be a dagger but almost useless as a sword.  _

_ _ _ "Kenny Snowton made it. He's quite a genius," Eve says. "The blade has a button just under the guard that extends it. Makes it useful in both your more flamboyant situations or your more… classified jobs." _

_ _ _ Oksana nods and brushes her thumb along the soft cloth wrapped around the grip. A dark blue suede wrap that would feel nice under her hand. The pommel matched the box, a dark wood, carved into the shape of a wolf. Then she moves back up to the blade and firmly presses her thumb just below the tiny black writing on the ricasso. _

_ _ _ "The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them," Oksana reads while staring at it. "Perfect timing after that speech up there. Sometimes I think you know me better than myself." She looks up at Eve and Niko while closing the box, "Thank you both so much. It's truly an honor to be able to be your protector." _

_ _ _ "Oksana, you've been with us for almost a year now, you're more than our protector." Niko reaches forward and squeezes her shoulder. "You're family." _

_ _ _ Oksana nods and then turns quickly to introduce Konstantin to them, but he's gone. She frowns but shrugs it off. Maybe he just didn't want to invade the moment. "I should probably take this to my room." _

_ _ _ "Wanting to leave your party early?" Niko teases while Eve is staying oddly silent. _

_ _ _ "More like don't want to drink too much of that Karnaca wine and start showing sword tricks. Last thing we need is me slicing a guest's ear off," Oksana jokes.  _

_ _ _ _ _ "I can go with her? Make sure she doesn't just take a bath and go to bed for the night," Eve finally speaks again but barely seems to have found her voice. _

_ _ _ Niko laughs. "I do feel that you two will find more trouble than this party to get into but sure, why not?" He kisses Eve on the head-pointedly not on the lips- and passes her over to Oksana. "Happy Birthday, Oksana." _

_ _ _ She nods and presses her lips into a smile. Eve leads the way out of the throne room, not a word spoken. _

_ _ _ Even once in the hallway, she doesn't speak. An obvious war plays in her head, so Oksana stands up tall and walks beside her wordlessly. Until they're turning the corner of her wing. _

_ _ _ "Are you angry?" Oksana asked. _

_ _ _ "No." _

_ _ _ "Okay." Oksana accepts the one word answer but continues talking. "The sword is beyond lovely. I really do love it, plus it will be very sharp. I haven't had a new sword in quite some time." Oksana opens the door to her room for Eve. She continues talking as she follows Eve in. "I appreciate the-" _

_ _ _ Eve is kissing her. Hard. Pushing Oksana against the shut bedroom door and Oksana is frozen. She wants so badly to kiss Eve back but she knows to wait. Eve will pull back to speak and if she kisses Oksana again then Oksana will kiss her back. _

_ _ _ Eve steps away and runs her hand through her hair. "Do you mean it?" _

_ _ _ "Mean what?" _

_ _ _ "What you said on stage. That you don't feel anything except… this. Whatever this is. You're scared of losing it?" _

_ _ _ "Right now, it's not even mine to lose, but no I'm not scared of losing it, I'm scared that I'll lose this feeling." _

_ _ _ "This feeling?" Eve asks. _

_ _ _ "My heart racing. Nervousness. Desire. Passion and yearning I have for you. The fact that whenever I'm around you I am never bored. I don't want to lose this devotion I have for you that goes deeper than just being your protect-" _

_ _ _ Eve's kissing her again. _

_ _ _ The box slowly slips out of Oksana's hands and one cusps the back of Eve's neck while the other goes higher into Eve's beautiful curls. Oksana didn't really expect Eve to ever kiss her. She wanted it. She's imagined it. She's fantasised about it. _

_ _ _ But it was never like this. _

_ _ _ Eve catches Oksana off-guard the way she kisses. She's different, she's fantastic, and- _

_ _ _ "Fuck," Oksana sighs as Eve's lips move towards her neck. "Eve, are you sure?" _

_ _ _ "Yes," Eve responds without though, her hands going to the done button of Oksana blazer. _

_ _ _ Oksana stops her and moves Eve away. She looks into Eve's eyes. "No, are you really sure? This...it can't be a one time thing, Eve. I can't do this one time. I need you." _

_ _ _ "It's not. I promise. I want you." _

_ _ _ "Of course you do," Oksana smirks, "but will you want me tomorrow morning?" _

_ _ _ "No, I have a sword training with the really obnoxious guard in the morning," Eve teases. _

_ _ _ Oksana snickers and nods. "She wanted me to let you know that she's moved it to the afternoon because she didn't get a lot of sleep tonight." _

_ _ _ "She didn't get a lot of sleep tonight. A bit presumptuous-" _

_ _ _ Eve's back hits the door in a quick turn of events and Oksana is trailing her finger on the décolletage neckline of her dress. "You look very beautiful in that dress, Eve." Oksana leans in and kisses her again. When Eve tries to deepen it, she pulls away to where their lips hardly brush. "I think you would look much more beautiful out of it." _

* * *

Weepers are a disgusting creature version of man. Villanelle shoots the last one of the three in the sewers and then moves to drag the body on a pile with the last two. She supposed maybe the outsider gave her the ability to not get infected but she doesn't want to risk it, mouth and nose wrapped with a scarf and hands covered with black gloves. She pours some whale oil on the bodies and backs up before tossing a match.

Flames roar and encompass the plagued bodies. Her gloves and mask get tossed in with fire too, allowing her to smell the burning bitter meat. Villanelle watches the oranges, and yellow dance together for a moment before blinking out of the sewers and up to the beach. Her small breakfast tries to come up. Before making her way back to Konstantin, she decides to pop into Kenny's workshop.

Hugo sits on a desk, using a small knife to clean the under of his fingernails while Kenny tinkers with something.

"Good morning, Kenneth," Villanelle greets and walks over. On the table is small clear pipes filled with a thick blue liquid. Villanelle picks one up and studies it. "Is this…"

"Yes," Kenny answers and straightens up. 

"Why is it  _ blue _ ?" Villanelle asks with utter disgust. She rocks the pipe back and forth between her thumb and forefinger, letting the liquid slosh to each side. 

"Well, I thought if whale bones were used for," Kenny glances at Hugo and back at Villanelle.

"He knows," Villanelle fills in quickly.

"About you being chosen by the fucking Outsider?" Hugo asks.

"Hey, be a little louder and I'll use that knife to castrate you," Villanelle tells him with a smile.

Hugo makes a gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

"So as you were saying," Villanelle turns back to Kenny.

"Yes, I used whale oil since whale bones are known to be somehow related to the Outsider."

"Whale oil? So basically I'm drinking a grenade?" Villanelle asks. "If I drop one of these I blow up, Kenneth."

"I don't recommend dropping them near you-"

"But if I threw one, they could multitask. Do you know if they work for my problem?"

"The only way will be able to test." Kenny picks at dry skin on his lip. A small tic.

"Drinking whale oil could kill me?"

"Possibly," Kenny answers. Then he smiles. "Good luck."

"I fucking hate my life," Villanelle mumbles, blinking to the second level of Kenny's workshop. Before the nausea kicks in, she chugs the blue liquid expecting the taste and burn of moonshine.

She gets pure ice and a burst of adrenaline. Her eyes widen and she looks at the empty glass with surprise. The Outsider's mark beats as if it was her heart and floods that ice into her veins.

"Did it work?" Kenny yells up.

Villanelle laughs and nods. "Uh, yeah, it did." 

"Okay, I have seven more down here for you and I made an attachment to- Hello, Mother," Kenny's voice drops to normal speaking tone.

Villanelle leans over the railing and watches Carolyn talk to Kenny. Her head jerks around looking for an excuse to be up here in Kenny's bunk. His journal! That would work. She hurries over and grabs before heading back down stairs, walking this time.

"Here's your blueprints," Villanelle says, interrupting Carolyn and Kenny.

"Oh… thanks," Kenny nods.

"No problem and wonderful to see you here Carolyn." Villanelle turns to the older woman.

"Yes, I've been looking for you," Carolyn says slowly.

"I was just in here after cleaning out the weepers like Konstantin asked. I wanted to see if Kenny could make something for me to rewire traps."

"That's smart. I'm sure the more people you kill the more they will advance their security," Carolyn compliments and steps around Villanelle. She barely notices Hugo, instead picking up one of the blue liquid filled cylinders. "What are these?"

"Whale oil grenades," Villanelle swiftly replies. Then turns to Kenny, "You were telling me about something to hold them in?"

"Yes…" Kenny swats Hugo's thigh to make him jump off the desk.

"So does this mean Villanelle is going to go get Lady Eve?" Hugo asks.

"She will be going to the Golden Cat to assassinate Lord and Lady Peel, if we are lucky Eve will be there too but she is not our first priority," Carolyn instructs.

"Not our first priority!" Villanelle scoffs. "Eve is my only priority."

"If we don't take down the conspirators there will not be a throne to put Lady Eve on." Carolyn walks towards Villanelle. Her shoulder brushes hers and she whispers, "Remember you aren't Oksana. Just an empty mask and an empty name." 

Her jaw twitches only with the fingers on her left hand. The burning desire to punch Carolyn in the face is stronger than the void in her veins. But Villanelle doesn't say a word as Kenny comes over and fixes the cross-body shoulder belt to fit Villanelle. He explains where to put the small tubes and that they shouldn't fall out. Also, if she took a bullet or hit to the chest they'll probably explode. 

She gets to see Eve today. 

Only one other time has she been so nervous to see Eve.

* * *

_ _ _ Red wasn't suited for a white wedding, but when you're the rulers of Dunwall, maybe it's required. There's more guests at this wedding than people in the Grand Guard of Serkonos. Niko is bubbling with nervousness, and Oksana wonders if he's going to throw up. Sweat beads on his forehead shine brighter than the white Tyvian buttons along the chest of his red coat. _

_ _ _ Eve is running a few minutes late. Maybe a last minute hair issue or something. Oksana stands to the side of the alter, rapier at side and in perfect, crisp armor colored similar to Niko's except her pants are a dark blue and the chest of her coat is dark blue.  _

_ _ _ "Oksana?" A woman comes up beside Oksana and asks. _

_ _ _ "May I help you?" She asks politely. _

_ _ _ "I need you to come with me, Eve says she needs you. I'm her friend Elena." _

_ _ _ "I-" she glances around the room looking for the nearest guard. She catches his eye and gestures that she's exiting for a moment. "Okay. Is she okay?" Oksana asks, following fast-paced. _

_ _ _ "I think so? She's not crying but she's also not happy." _

_ _ _ "Cold-feet?" Oksana laughs. _

_ _ _ Elena has a matching sense of humor. "I wish but I don't think so." _

_ _ _ "Do you know anything?" _

_ _ _ "I know she's in there but she won't open the door unless it's you," Elena stops in front of a closed door. _

_ _ _ Oksana nods and steps forward. With a gentle rap, her knuckles brush the door. "Lady Eve? Lady Elena came and told me you asked for me?" Oksana keeps up the facadé of manners. She's only had this job for a few months now and she would rather not lose it. She likes Eve a lot. _

_ _ _ "Come in," is the small reply Oksana gets. Oksana looks at Elena once more before slipping in the room.  _

_ _ _ Red is absolutely perfect for a wedding. _

_ _ _ A light cream dress with red rose petals sewn delicately into it. The waist was embroided with gold and perfectly tailored to sit Eve's waist. _

_ _ _ Oksana wondered what her fingers would feel like against the embroidery. Her heart skips and she wonders if this is what Niko feels out there. Oksana hates it. She can't control her heart or the bubbling in her stomach or the sweat on her hands or- _

_ _ _ "You look stunning, Eve," Oksana breathes out. Or her words apparently. _

_ _ _ Eve laughs and shakes her head. The only flaw was the way her hair was forced to be up. "You don't look to bad yourself." _

_ _ _ Oksana looks down at her slightly more than required uniform. "I'm not completely matching Niko. Promise." _

_ _ _ "How is he?" Eve asks. _

_ _ _ "Like all the guests, he's waiting on you," Oksana informs her. She sounds a bit insensitive. _

_ _ _ "Do you think I should marry him?" _

_ _ _ Oksana has to stop herself from tilting her head. Her mind and heart and everything screams no. For the fuck's sake she can't even bring herself to say yes, instead she says, "Why wouldn't you?" _

_ _ _ "Why wouldn't I?" Eve repeats, defeated. She looks Oksana up and down once. "You look really nice." _

_ _ _ "You already said that." Oksana steps closer to Eve. "Eve, it's time." _

_ _ _ "Do you want me to marry him?" Eve rewords her question. _

_ _ _ Oksana frowns. She knows exactly what Eve wants her to say. Her heart breaks while looking at Eve and Oksana wished she was the one outside this room getting to see Eve walk down the aisle. Oksana wished she never fell in love with Eve. It was the most alone she's felt in her lonely life. Before she responds, she sighs, "Would it make a difference? Would you change your mind if I said what I think?" _

_ _ _ "I would. Promise." Eve echos Oksana with such hopeful eyes. _

_ _ _ Hopeful eyes that deserved to be Queen of an Empire. Not in love with some bastard with a heretic mother and no father. Oksana was a peasant and nobody. Had nobody, and meant nothing to anybody. If she wasn't the Royal Protector, she'd probably be dead by now. Eve didn't deserve that. _

_ _ _ "I think you should marry Niko," Oksana tells Eve.  _

_ _ _ Eve's eyes water, but she doesn't cry. Instead she nods and holds out her elbow. "I asked Elena to get you because I don't have anyone to walk me down the aisle. My father passed away last month. Could you?" _

_ _ _ Oksana nods and hooks her elbow with Eve's. She takes her left hand and cusps it over Eve's wrist. They walk towards the door. "I don't want you to marry him though." Oksana says glancing over with a smirk. _

_ _ _ Eve laughs and shakes her head. "I hate you." _

_ _ _ "Promise?" Oksana asks while opening the door. _

_ _ _ "Promise." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably explain why I was gone... I was playing bloodborne. I also finished junior year. And played Bloodborne. ListeN IM SORRY. I've also started yoga and bloodborne new game plus. I know this is a Dishonored au but uhhhh if you play bloodborne hmu on Twitter @JClawesome so we can play bloodborne together 🤣🤣🤣 no but seriously I just kinda got out of my funk for a while. I know what I want to write and it's just not coming out? Like I know the ending to who's going to drive you home and I know what I want to do with hey baby and this and I have a whole other au ready but it's like the words are forming right. I feel like my writing is very repetitive right now. Alot of her blank did blank and she did blank and then blank as if blank. Before blank she blanked. Like it feels like I'm writing play directions and not a story and that's bugging me. So I'm just like instead of writing I'll just not write. I'm sorry. I am. Promise.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on insta @jordan.closson  
Twitter: @JClawesome  
Tumblr: @theworldandyourself


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